IRSC: Indian River State College Educator Preparation Institute School of Education
EPI Steps to Certification 1. Complete an IRSC application and establish residency (proof of being a Florida resident for at least one year). 2. Complete an EPI Student Data Form. 3. Apply to the Florida Department of Education for a Temporary Certificate. You will receive a Statement of Status of Eligibility (additional information following). We must receive a copy of your Statement of Status of Eligibility, Temporary Certificate, or receipt from the state documenting you applied for your Temporary Certificate before you may register for classes. 4. Pass the necessary Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE) additional information following. 5. Complete the 8 EPI courses, maintaining a 2.5 GPA. 6. Complete a fingerprint and Level II background check with one of the county school districts (information following). 7. Successfully complete all portfolio artifacts demonstrating The Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPS). 8. Complete your electronic portfolio. A workshop will be offered to accomplish this task. 9. Complete an IRSC EPI Certificate of Completion application. 10. After satisfying the EPI requirements, apply to the State for a Professional Certificate and pay the fee.
How to Obtain a Statement of Status of Eligibility from the Florida Department of Education: 1. Apply online at http://www.fldoe.org/edcert or contact The Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Educator Certification (e-mail: edcert@fldoe.org) to have an application mailed to you. You may also obtain an application from a local school district office. 2. Apply for a Temporary Certificate. 3. Submit an application and fee for each subject area requested. 4. Submit official transcripts (directly from the institutions or in a sealed envelope) from ALL postsecondary institutions to this department at FLDOE.
Fingerprinting and Level II Criminal Background Check: Make an appointment at the school district where you would prefer to complete your field experience observations. You will need to bring a copy of your registration to the school district personnel office. There is a fee. STLC Personnel Dept. 429-3600 IRC Personnel Dept. 564-3000 MC Personnel Dept. 219-1200
FTCE Florida Teacher Certification Exams You will need to pass Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE) in three areas: 1. Subject Area Exam (SAE): The area of this exam needs to match the discipline in your Statement of Status of Eligibility (SOE). This is your desired area of certification. 2. General Knowledge (GK) or CLAST This exam covers general skills in math, reading, English, and essay writing. (If you passed the CLAST in Reading, English, Math and Essay, prior to 7/02, you do not need to take the GK.) The Academic Support Center (ASC) offers a test prep workshop series for the math portion of the GK exam each semester as well as provides assistance with reading, language, and essay writing. 3. Professional Education This exam assesses the pedagogy of teaching and is based on the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPS). To register for your exams, go to: http://www.fl.nesinc.com. Click on Certification - FTCE. There is a fee for each exam. There are many testing sites. Registration must be done through the FLDOE site, not through the college. Important Note: Documentation of having passed your exams must be provided to EPI. You may either: (1) Fax a copy of the official notification you receive from the State to Kelly Amatucci at 772-467-8098 OR (2) Have the State send it to IRSC directly.
Electronic Portfolio There is an electronic portfolio required for the EPI program. Each course requires portfolio artifacts that demonstrate the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. The Florida Education Standards Commission has developed practices that Florida teachers must demonstrate specific competence in order to be assessed as highly qualified and professional. These practices are also sometimes called the Competencies or FEAPs (Florida Educator Accomplished Practices). The eight EPI courses are developed based on these practices to provide the foundation to become accomplished and professional. All courses require portfolio assignments which demonstrate accomplishment of these practices. These will be included in the syllabus in all of the courses. IRSC offers a workshop to assist in completing this process.
The Eight EPI Courses 1. *EDF2005 Introduction to the Teaching Profession 2. * EDF2085 Introduction to Diversity and Exceptionalities for Educators 3. EME2040 Introduction to Technology for Educators 4. *EDF3214 Human Development and Learning 5. *EDG3343 Instructional Strategies (co-requisite with EDG3949) 6. *EDG3949 Practicum (co-requisite with EDG3343) 7. EDG4410 Classroom Management and Communication 8. RED3360 Teaching Reading *Courses that include a required field experience component
EPI Schedule of Classes EPI Schedules are for fall, spring, and summer semesters. During the fall, spring, and summer semesters, classes meet for 8 weeks per course. Class schedules by course can be viewed on our website: 1. www.irsc.edu 2. click on Programs and Careers 3. click on Course Schedules in the Resources box 4. Type in the course number(s) to search for available course options All registration is done by the student. Log in to IRSC then click on Add/Drop classes. You may pay for the class online after you are registered. Students are responsible for dropping themselves from a class if they choose not at attend.